Picturesque Japan

Hello, travelers. This is  Kumi .   Picturesque Japan  Blog explains what it's like to use vending machines in Japan. Vending machines in Japan are very useful, but you need to know some tips. First of all, the ones with blue lines are "COLD" and the ones with red are "HOT." Did you get it? I meant this. In summer, all the drinks are usually cold, but in winter, you need to be careful which one you choose. Also, if you want to buy a bottle of water, you need to be careful. These ones are water. These are too. They are sports drinks like Gatorade. If you look closely, the liquid is a bit cloudy. These are flavored water. They are too. Yogurt flavor!? Sparkling waters. Melon-soda-flavored water and tea-flavored water. These are tricky. The name is "AQUARIUS," but not water. A lot of visitors buy this because of the word "AQUA." Anyway, if you cannot tell which ones are water, you can simply ...

Hello, travelers. This is  Kumi .   Picturesque Japan  Blog welcomes you to Ueno Park. Many of you probably know that Japanese people really appreciate cherry blossoms. We enjoy picnicking under cherry trees. Every year, a lot of maps are issued to let people know where we can see the flowers. Here is the one for Ueno Park. Even though the map is in Japanese, you can tell where about if you use Google Maps together. https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/announcement/038/pdf/ohanami_map_20180319.pdf Today, I came to Ueno by Ginza line. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3019.html To go to Ueno Park, the exit 7 is convenient. Then, head for this building. Yes. This one. It says "Sakura Terrace" in Japanese (FYI: Sakura means cherry blossoms). Let's go up to the top level. You'll come to this area. You can visit the temple called Kiyomizu Kannondo . https://livejapan.com/en/in-ueno/spot-lj0001941/ It was just before the closing ti...

Hello, travelers. This is  Kumi .   Picturesque Japan  Blog introduces you to an inexpensive train journey around Japan. This is Day 2. I decided to leave early to see Lake Biwa. It was before 6am. 06:14 Maibara - 06:23 Nagahama Got off the train at Nagahama station where trains are very few... I chose this station because the distance from the station to the lake is kind of short. This is Nagahama Castle. Lake Biwa. Okay, let me head for Tsuruga. 07:00 Nagahama - 07:36 Tsuruga This is a train but has the ticket machine. At Tsuruga station. Going to the platform of Obama Line. Mikata Goko (Five Lakes). 09:46 Higashi-maizuru -10:29 Fukuchiyama Arrived at Fukuchiyama station. Had a quick breakfast. 11:12 Fukuchiyama - 12:32 Toyooka As I had 30 minutes till the next train, I decided to explore a bit around Toyooka station. ...